GL-38
Community Safety Directorate
GUIDELINE: Decommissioning of Fire Hydrant and Sprinkler Systems
Guideline No: GL-38
Prepared By: MFESB Community Safety Policy Group
Authorised By: ACFO Greg Bawden
First Issued: 12 August 2008
Version No: 1
Reviewed: 14 December 2010
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Decommissioning of Fire Hydrant and Sprinkler Systems (62kb)
1. Purpose
The purpose of this guideline is to inform industry of the issues associated with removed, disconnected or decommissioned fire hydrant systems and automatic fire sprinkler systems.
2. Definitions
“Building work” has the same meaning as Section 3 of the Building Act 1993. The definition of building work in the Building Act 1993 includes work for or in connection with the construction, demolition or removal of a building.
“MFB” means the Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services.
3. Background
The MFB has responded to a number of fire incidents at properties where fire hydrant systems and automatic fire sprinkler systems have been removed, disconnected, decommissioned or not maintained.
The MFB’s Chief Officer believes that these incidents constitute a safety hazard to fire fighters as the presence of an automatic fire sprinkler system and fire hydrant system generally ensures that fire fighters are afforded a greater level of safety.
The presence of an automatic fire sprinkler system in particular provides fire fighters with a false sense of safety as fire fighters are aware that sprinklers have the ability to cool fires and suppress their growth, which in turn reduces some of the hazards associated with fire exposure, fire spread and structural collapse. In these instances, fewer fire fighting resources are needed as fire fighting operations are less aggressive compared to fires within non-sprinkler protected buildings.
4. Considerations
Where an application for building permit encompasses the removal, disconnection or the decommissioning of a fire hydrant system or an automatic fire sprinkler system, the Chief Officer requires that the following building work be undertaken to render the systems inactive.
4.1 Fire Hydrant Systems
Option 1 - Complete Removal of a Fire Hydrant System
All fire hydrant system infrastructure located either below or above ground, must be physically removed from the property. This also includes the removal of any cabinets, enclosures, block plans or signs that house any element of the fire hydrant system.
Option 2 - Partial Removal of a Fire Hydrant System
Where it is not proposed to remove all the fire hydrant system pipe work located below ground level, all the fire hydrant outlets and fire brigade booster connections must be cut and sealed at the level of natural ground by an appropriately registered plumber. This also includes the removal of any cabinets, enclosures, block plans or signs that housed any element of the fire hydrant system.
4.2 Fire Sprinkler Systems
Fire sprinkler system infrastructure including sprinkler heads, alarm valves, fire main pipework, signage and other main components forming part of the fire sprinkler system must be physically removed from the property.
5. Completion of Building Work
Upon completion of the above building work, the building permit applicant must arrange for a final inspection to be conducted by the Relevant Building Surveyor, prior to the issuance of a Certificate of Final Inspection.
6. Conclusion
The carrying out of the building work referred to in Section 4 of this guideline generally ensures that fire fighters, who are responding to an emergency incident at a property, do not expose themselves to any occupational health and safety hazards whilst connecting their pumping appliances and hoses to an inoperative fire hydrant system.
A building where a fire incident has occurred is a fire fighters workplace, therefore it is expected that building owners and building occupiers will provide fire fighters with a reasonably safe workplace to carry out their fire fighting operations.
7. References
• Building Act 1993
• Building Regulations 2006
• Building Code of Australia 2010
• AS 2118 Part 1, AS 2118 Part 4 and AS 2118 Part 6 – Sprinkler system.
• AS 2419 Part 1 – Fire hydrant system.
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